AS one of the most technically gifted yet frustratingly unfulfilled talents the English game has seen, Mark Ramprakash might not appear an ideal candidate to have a second career as a coach.

Mark Ramprakash imparts advice to James Harris during a nets session []

But the former Surrey batsman is beginning to believe that using his own experience as a guide gives him everything he needs to be able to map a successful path to the top for young players.

Ramprakash was recently employed by the ECB on a consultancy basis, contracted to provide a small number of days per year with the Under-16s and Under-17s at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough.

It is work he enjoyed and work which caught the eye of the ECB coaching set-up, who invited him to stand in for England Performance Programme batting coach Graham Thorpe here in India while the latter takes coaching exams.

After a week here with the EPP squad, Ramprakash has gone from just dipping a toe into coaching waters to contemplating submersing himself fully if and when the next opportunity arises.

“It definitely interests me and I have a lot of experiences as a player to fall back on,” he said. “It is also very much in my mind that I want to keep evolving and learning new things as a person.

The ups and downs in my career should help me as a coach

Mark Ramprakash

“The ups and downs in my career should help me as a coach. I can identify with players perhaps sometimes trying too hard, feeling under pressure to make a mark or dealing with disappointment.”

Ramprakash was once described by Michael Vaughan as “the best technician the English game has had in the past 20 years”.

His record of 52 Tests and 18 ODIs seems substantial enough but they were spread between 1991 and 2002 and as a body of work never wholly convinced, with his Test average just 27.32.

Ramprakash’s temperament, too, never seemed suited to international examination – fiery in his early days at Middlesex where he was renowned for his short fuse, he became more relaxed but no less intense later in his career at Surrey.

Retirement has brought a fresh perspective and a maturity that playing would never allow. Taking that step back has given him a clearer and calmer view. “People see intensity as a negative aspect to have as a player and yet every player is trying to find a balance to get the best out of themselves,” he said. “Young players need to be focused and train hard. But they also need down-time and other interests and to get the balance right.”

For all that Ramprakash was such a gifted technician, he believes that he is not drawn to analysing the techniques of others.

“People expect me to be a technical coach but it is not turning out that way,” he said. “I am a practical coach. I have seen so many different people bat in different ways and get runs. There is no one formula.

“Back in my day it was all about trying to play cricket. There is so much more emphasis on the all-round package now. It is about understanding the person.

“I came into the side at 17, young and raw. I was not self-aware about my strengths and weaknesses. Now all the young boys have access to sports psychologists and player welfare.

“It is about being a more rounded person.”

Ramprakash appears to have taken that advice on board himself. A future guiding the next generation away from the mistakes he made could prove to be an inspired step.